‘Celebrity? I’m just a normal boring bloke’
Actor Joe Thomas made his name in hit TV series
TheInbetweeners and went on to appear in
Fresh Meat. Last year, the 35-year-old took the lead role in British film TheFestival, alongside his fiancée, actress Hannah Tointon, 31. About to tour the UK in comedy
What’sInAName?, Joe tells best about how TheInbetweeners changed his life and how comedy can be a lonely business.
How do you feel about the new play? I’m really excited, because it’s a clever script and very funny. It all centres around a family dinner party that goes wrong and turns into a huge argument – something I think we’ve all experienced at some point. A dinner party is a great way to view people and see how they react in certain situations. Are you more nervous doing theatre rather than TV or film? I am nervous. I have done live comedy and that brings pressure, but doing a play brings a different sort of pressure. I think I’ll have ‘good’ nerves, but I’ll be buzzing, too, particularly on the first night.
You played Simon Cooper in The Inbetweeners – did that change your life?
Yes, in all sorts of ways. It was the first thing I had ever done on TV, so I was very lucky in the sense that it became so successful and ran for such a long time. It opened so many doors for me and for that alone, I’m grateful. Then we did two Inbetweeners movies as well. I made lots of friends on that show and I guess I grew up in the process, too. It came about at the right time and of course it launched my career. It’s amazing just how successful that show was. People are still talking about it today.
The Inbetweeners turned you into a celebrity. Did you find the whole fame thing difficult to deal with? I found it rather comforting that people appeared to like the show, and the character I played. So being recognised in the street or being shouted at from cars was a bit weird at first, but also rather nice. When you are in the public eye, all you really want to say to people is, ‘I am exactly the same as you.’ The media may paint us as being just another celebrity because we’re on the telly, but it’s just not true – I want the same things as everyone else. I am quite boring in that I’m just a normal bloke enjoying my job. I don’t ever think about being famous.
Is it true that Ricky Gervais and The Office was a huge inspiration for you?
Yes, he was. I loved The Office – it was like hearing a great album for the very first time. It was so influential and changed the entire landscape of television comedy. Ricky will always be a great inspiration for me and a lot of writers and British comedians.
You studied History at the University of Cambridge – how do you look back on that period of your life?
I had a great time. Made a lot of friends who I still have. Came out of all that and decided to go into comedy which, thankfully, paid off. My parents were both teachers so perhaps they worried about me initially; but in the end they were very supportive of my career, and still are.
Can comedy and writing comedy be a lonely business sometimes?
I think stand-up comedy, which I don’t do, can be really lonely. Sometimes these people are alone all day and, by the time they go on stage, the audience are the first people they’ve spoken to all day. That must be very hard. For me, my worst fear is to do something on TV that fails. I think that’s why people are obsessed with comedy because sometimes they want to see someone stand up, fail spectacularly and not be funny at all. That’s just human nature.
You like to keep your personal life private – is that hard, given that you’re in the spotlight so much? I don’t go out of my way to be private. I go out when I like, I don’t hide from the media, and I always try to chat with fans who stop me in the street. That, in a way, is part of my job. I think there are aspects of your private life that you’re reluctant to discuss simply because it’s not relevant.
You made the movie The Festival last year – are there more films in the pipeline?
I hope so. I had great fun making that movie. All the cast knew each other, so it was all very comfortable to make, and I hope people liked it.
The What’s In A Name? tour opens at the Yvonne Arnaud in Guildford on 5 September. See whatsinanameplay. com for more info.
Being shouted at from cars was a bit weird at first, but also rather nice